During certain times of the month, women might notice scale changes. “It’s normal for women’s weight and fluid levels to fluctuate in accordance with their menstrual cycle,” says Hugh. But these fluctuations can make it tricky to determine if you’re really losing weight. One way to better understand if you’re making progress is to track body composition (your ratios of muscle, fat, water, bone, etc.) instead of weighing yourself, notes Hugh, who recommends women do these tests right after their cycle ends each month. “This is usually the time [women] have less fluid retention, so the test gives a pretty accurate result.”